The Science of Inheritance in Morocco: A Historical Study

Abstract

Islamic inheritance science (Faraid), also known as the science of Mirath, is considered one of the key subjects in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and is widely studied in the Maghreb region. It is regarded as the most significant among Islamic legal sciences and has attracted the interest of scholars in Al-Maghreb and Al-Andalus . Many scholars have excelled in this discipline, producing works that combine Islamic jurisprudence with arithmetic, due to the close relationship between these fields and their importance for dividing inheritance according to the legal rulings of the Quran and Sunnah . This science was the specialty of proficient scholars who are well-versed in Sharia sciences and arithmetic and known for their uprightness and piety. It attained a prominent status in the Islamic Maghreb during the period spanning the second to the sixth Hijri centuries, owing to the region’s strong influence by Maliki thought, which had become widespread there.